


Surprise! It's a Family!

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: Hope's Surprise [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/F, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Mild Language, Mother-Daughter Relationship, POV Female Character, POV First Person, Post-Canon, Present Tense, Sequel, Sexy Times, Swan Queen Supernova 2019 (Once Upon a Time), Swearing, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-05 17:56:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20492903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: Once upon a time, all I wanted was a carefree life filled with love and laughter with Daniel and a house filled with our children.  It may have taken longer than anyone expected and I'm not with my first love, but I am definitely with a woman who makes me feel whole and our daughter makes it even more perfect.Picking up directly on the tail of "Surprise! It's a Girl!", Regina and Emma navigate five important moments in the first year of Hope's life and their burgeoning relationship.  Nothing is easy, but Regina and Emma vow to be honest and work together to make the transition to family life as easy as possible for all involved.





	1. Moving Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [powerfulmagics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/powerfulmagics/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Surprise! It’s a Family!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20494433) by [powerfulmagics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/powerfulmagics/pseuds/powerfulmagics). 

> Date Written: 24 July - 2 September 2019  
Word Count: 10114  
Written for: SQSupernova 2019  
Artist: powerfulmagics  
Link to art: TBA  
Summary: Once upon a time, all I wanted was a carefree life filled with love and laughter with Daniel and a house filled with our children. It may have taken longer than anyone expected and I'm not with my first love, but I am definitely with a woman who makes me feel whole and our daughter makes it even more perfect.
> 
> Picking up directly on the tail of "Surprise! It's a Girl!", Regina and Emma navigate five important moments in the first year of Hope's life and their burgeoning relationship. Nothing is easy, but Regina and Emma vow to be honest and work together to make the transition to family life as easy as possible for all involved.  
Spoilers: Post-series canon divergence beginning immediately after the coronation in ep 07x21 Leaving Storybrooke".  
Warnings: No standard warnings apply  
Series: Hope's Surprise  
Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Okay, so based on the comments I got for "Surprise! It's a Girl" last year, I decided to do a sequel as my big fic for this year's SQSupernova. It took me a while to decide on my angle, then I realized that a "5 times" angle with five important moments for this little family during Hope's first year would work the best. I'm still rather pissed at my muses for teasing me with smut in chapter 3 and then bailing on me _REPEATEDLY_, but what are you going to do? When they decide to be less recalcitrant about it, I'll write a "missing scene" oneshot of the smut and post it in the series. If there's anything y'all want to see in this verse, feel free to drop me a request in my [tumblr inbox](https://ariestess.tumblr.com/ask) or my [CC inbox](https://curiouscat.me/ariestess69) .
> 
> For the record, the research about Regina attempting to breastfeed Hope came from this article I found called [Breastfeeding Your Adopted Baby](https://breastfeedingusa.org/content/article/breastfeeding-your-adopted-baby-0). I thought it was something she'd absolutely want to try, so I went for it in the story.
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as usual…
> 
> Beta: TheOnlySPL is a goddess-send!

The second consciousness returns to me, I realize three things: this is not my bed; my daughter's diaper needs to be changed; and, despite the absolute need to relieve my bladder, I couldn't move from this bed if my life depended on it. Flat on my stomach with one leg tucked up isn't much of a variation from how I normally sleep. No, it's the incredibly warm, heavy leech attached to my side and back, complete with a thigh wedged up between mine in a most distracting way, that is keeping me from answering the call of nature for both myself and our daughter.

"Emma?" She doesn't answer at first, just snuggles in closer to me, pressing her thigh firmly against my groin in a way that _should_ be tantalizing, but _actually_ increases my need to pee. "Emma," I repeat a little louder and bite my bottom lip. "Wake up. Our daughter needs a diaper change and I need the bathroom."

She groans softly, but shifts to flop onto her back and mumbles, "Hurry back?"

"Of course." 

The words are out of my mouth before I fully register them, but I don't want to take them back. Dreams of a life just like this have taken up residence in my mind at various times over the years, sometimes more often than others. Why would I want to keep myself from experiencing the real thing finally? I've been in this loft enough times over the years to be able to find my way around in my sleep, and the trip to the bathroom is quick and easy. 

Once done, I make my way back to the bedroom, pausing a few yards from the door to let it really sink in that this is likely the last time I could ever be in this loft. Snow and David have their farm house. Henry, Ella, and Lucy have their own place. Alice and Robyn will be buying Emma's old house. Maybe younger Henry would like to live here, or Roland. Oddly enough, I find that I want to keep it in the family somehow. Perhaps that will be a discussion for the next family dinner.

A soft whine from the bedroom gets my attention again, feet guiding me to the crib where Hope appears to be just waking up. "Good morning, my little princess," I say softly, picking her up and wrinkling my nose as the smell from her diaper assaults my nostrils. "You need a clean diaper, don't you?"

She fusses a little, but calms as I rock her a bit before setting her on the bed. She curls up, body tilting onto her left side, as I grab the supplies I need to change her. It takes no time to get her cleaned up, even with the noxious smells coming from her diaper.

"Oh my god, what is that smell?"

Chuckling softly as I finish snapping up Hope's sleeper, I grin. "Your mommy hasn't smelled how bad your diapers can get yet, has she, sweetheart?" Hope coos and gurgles, kicking her feet happily. "Emma, keep an eye on her while I go dispose of this mess and wash my hands. I'll be right back."

She mutters something I don't hear, but pulls Hope closer for a snuggle. When I come back again, the sight on the bed stops me in my tracks to stare. Emma is sitting up against the wall, pillow cushioning her lower back, and has her shirt up to let Hope breastfeed. The soft smile on Emma's face is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. As if suddenly aware she has an audience, she looks up at me sheepishly.

"Hi." It comes out quietly, and I'm not sure if she's doing it for Hope's sake or mine.

"Hi," I reply, moving to join them in the bed. It's only our first morning together as a family and it's already as comfortable as if we've been doing it since the day Hope was born. "If I'd realized she was hungry, I'd've warmed up a bottle."

Emma shakes her head. "She really likes boob first thing in the morning. She'll accept a bottle, but this is what makes her happiest when she first wakes up for the day." I can feel her eyes on me, but all I can do is watch Hope eating and feel a pang in my chest. "You know, you could do this, too."

"Maybe if I'd known I was her mother, I could've tried this, but…" It hurts that I'm missing out on yet another bonding experience with my daughter.

"No, you can still do it. I read something about it at some point, but didn't really think about it until after we learned that Killian wasn't her father. There are ways you can stimulate lactation so you can breastfeed her, too, if you want. I'm sure we can do a little research and figure it out."

My eyes leave Hope's blissful face to meet Emma's gaze. "Y-You mean it? But I've never…"

"Yeah, a lot of adopted moms do it from what I read."

The prospect is daunting and tempting by turns. "I want to try. If I'm getting another chance at motherhood like this, I want to do as much as I can. We'll look into it this week, after we've gotten the two of you moved home." Her eyes widen when I say that one word: _home_. It makes me wonder if I've gone too far, moved too fast. "That _is_ what you want, right, Emma?"

She nods quickly, perhaps too quickly, then glances down at Hope. "You're already calling it home for me and Hope," she finally says softly, then meets my gaze. The tentative hope and fear are there in those mossy green eyes so like her mother's and both of our sons', maybe even Hope's eyes will lighten to that same shade.

"If you'd rather I don't, I'll stop. We're in this together, Emma."

"No, I'm okay with it. It's just hitting me that we're actually going to be a family after all these years."

That pulls me up short. "Emma, we've always been a family. All we're doing now is making it truly official by living together." Her shy smile comes back, and I can feel my own lips curling up to match her expression. "And anything between the two of us can be decided together when we're both ready."

"When we're both ready. I like the sound of that."

*****

The quiet connection of the early morning soon gives way to the chaos of family converging on the loft to help get Emma and Hope's things moved to the mansion. I can't even keep track of all the people here, and I don't think there's justification for all of them, given how little there is in the loft to move, but I've learned over these years since I first cast the Dark Curse that family is family, no matter what.

"Regina, are you sure you're okay with this?" Snow asks, pulling me from my thoughts. 

I want to laugh at the earnest concern on her face, but I understand where she's coming from, and reach over to squeeze her hand. "I am absolutely okay with this. It was my idea in the first place, you know." Her eyes light up at that, and I can just make out the early shimmer of tears. "I swear to God, Snow White, if you start crying…"

"I-I won't," she replies, but we both know her words as the lie they are, particularly as one tear escapes to race down her cheek. "I'm just so happy for you, both of you. Even when I wasn't sure how I felt about it, I always knew there was something between you two. And now here you are moving her into your house."

"You're getting ahead of yourself, dear." My eyes travel over to meet Emma's curious gaze and quirked brow and offer her the faintest shake of my head. "We're not sure where we stand just yet, but given everything, it just feels right to have the two of them living with me." My tone goes soft and regretful with my next words. "I've already missed so many milestones with her." And then I remember who I'm talking to. "I'm sorry, Snow. I shouldn't be talking about this, not with what I--"

"Water under the bridge." She squeezes my hand in both of hers now, and a few more tears fall. "I mean it, Regina. What happened is what happened. We can't change it and we can't live our lives filled with regrets for what did or didn't come to pass in the past."

Now tears fill my eyes and I pull her into a quick hug while poofing a couple quarters into my hand. They get pressed into her hand when we part again. "I probably owe you more, but here's a start."

She laughs when she sees them, but gives them back to me. "You put these in a piggy bank for my granddaughter. Any hope speech quarters you think you owe me can join them. I'd just use the money to spoil her anyway." A mischievous grin lights up her face and I know there's no reason to fight her. "And speaking of my granddaughter, where is she?"

"I believe Lucy has barricaded herself in your old bedroom with the baby. She said she wanted to keep her auntie safe in all of this noise and craziness."

Snow wanders off to try to get to the girls, leaving me to stand there and watch Emma and David play Rock, Paper, Scissors while both Henrys, Roland, Robyn, and Alice watch them. I can see Ella packing up a box of Hope's clothes. My sister and Rogers are nowhere to be f-- _Oh!_ Casting a quick silencing spell on the bedroom, I let out a shrill whistle that gets everyone attention.

"If you peasants are done fucking around, I'd like to get this moving expedition over with and get to the mansion to put Hope down for a nap. We still have items at the old house to get moved, as well, before we can truly call it a day. If you're all good boys and girls, you _might_ get pizza and age-appropriate beverages when we're done."

*****

"Hey," Emma says softly, stepping into the room I've set aside as Hope's nursery. "Everything okay up here?"

Nodding slowly at her, my eyes take in the exhaustion in her posture. "Hope just needed a few snuggles with her mama to get back to sleep."

She moves to crouch next to the rocking chair I'm sitting in. "Probably more like you needed a little peace and quiet from the loud, boisterous family that has invaded the main floor of your house." She strokes Hope's cheek. "I can go down and break it up. We've had a pretty long twenty-four hours so far." 

"Emma, it's fi--" The yawn escapes despite my best efforts to stop it, making Emma chuckle, and I feel my cheeks heating up from embarrassment. "Okay, maybe I could use some sleep."

"You two stay here. I'll go kick them all out and lock up, then meet you back up here?"

Humming, I nod at her and keep rocking Hope. She heads back out of the room, and my eyes droop closed briefly. "Just for a moment, princess," I murmur, cheek rubbing against her hair. 

The next thing I know, I can feel Hope's weight leaving my arms. It startles me awake, heart pumping with fear that I've dropped her.

"Hey, hey, hey," Emma says softly. "It's okay, Regina. I'm just gonna put Hope in her crib. You need to go change and get into bed."

Cheeks heating up with embarrassment for at least the third time today, I work to stand up with a yawn. My eyes follow as Emma heads to the crib. "Has she slept alone yet? Do you have a co-sleeper for her? We can set it up in your room." I feel like I'm rambling to keep from saying what I really want to say because it's just too damned soon for me to be saying it. "I want to make sure she's not upset during the night when she wakes up."

Emma walks over to me, briefly brushing her lips against mine. "Hey, just breathe, okay? She can sleep in here for now while we both get showers and get ready for bed. We can decide what to do from there, but if it's okay with you, I'd like it if we all slept in your room tonight. Just like we did last night at the loft, but with Hope's co-sleeper. I know your bed's more than big enough. Older Henry set up the co-sleeper in there already."

"He did?"

"I think he was making some assumptions and I didn't find out until after he did it. Just for tonight, okay? If it's too weird, we'll change things tomorrow, but I think I'd just really like it if we can be together tonight, like we were last night."

Trying to swallow past the lump in my throat, it takes a moment before I can whisper, "I think I'd like that, too."


	2. A New Breakfast Routine

Emma's room proved to be a moot point practically from the start. We never even tried having her sleep in that room. Oh, we claimed it was for Hope's sake, that she needed a regular routine, but we fooled no one. Snow's been reminding me to add fifty cents to the piggy bank for every night we all co-sleep in my room. I guess it's our room now, isn't it?

Archie says this is definitely a positive step for us as a family. The day I told him about my connection to Hope, he was so happy for me, for us. Our sessions have made changes in focus to compensate for this new adjustment in my life, and I look forward to seeing him later today. We have so much to talk about.

"Regina!" he says, opening the door with a smile. "Right on time."

He barely gets the words out when Pongo barrels past him to sniff at my hands. Without hesitation, I kneel down to get the obligatory swipe of his tongue across my neck. "Hello, Pongo. Let's go to the couch, hmm?" Archie helps me stand as Pongo bounds over to the couch. "Hello to you, too, Archie."

We head into the office and take our usual places, Pongo wiggling until he can settle his head in my lap. My fingers automatically stroke his furry head, finding a sense of contentment in the familiar movements.

"You look great, Regina," Archie finally says. "I take it things have been going well since we last spoke?"

"For the most part, yes."

"For the most part?" he asks, tilting his head to the side. "Would you like to talk about what's keeping it from being all the time?"

"It's…" My words trail off as I try to figure out exactly what it is I want to say. I know I won't lie to Archie. What's the point in continuing my sessions with him if I'm not honestly trying to be a better person? I just don't know how to put it all into words.

"Why don't you focus on just one thing for now?" he says softly, and I have to wonder if I've done that whole _unconsciously voicing my thoughts_ thing again. Before I can ask him, he smiles and shakes his head. "You didn't say it this time, but you had that look on your face like you might. I thought I'd just cut to the chase."

Well, that explains that. Licking my lips, I meet his gaze and say, "I feel nervous about things."

Archie nods and scribbles on his notepad. "Okay, nervous is a good start. Pick one thing you're nervous about and we'll discuss that."

"Breastfeeding Hope." The words are out of my mouth before I'm even aware of making a choice.

"I thought you were excited about that. What's changed your mind?"

"I haven't changed my mind exactly. I just…" The ache in my chest grows, expanding until I fear my oxygen will be choked off, and all I can do is whisper my next words. "What if I'm no good at it? What if she doesn't want that from me?"

Pongo whines and presses his head against my stomach. His familiarity with me and my moods is comforting in so many ways. My fingers make their way behind his left ear, scratching at the spot he loves the most. The fact that Archie is quiet and lets me have this moment to regroup before we move on is but one reason why I keep coming back to this office each week. Taking a deep breath, I lean in to press a kiss to Pongo's nose before meeting Archie's eyes again.

"You've been telling me about just how close you and Hope have grown these past several weeks. Why would you think she wouldn't want the further connection of breastfeeding?"

"Emma's been doing it since she was born and she needs a regular routine?" The quirked brow and pursed lips tell me just how foolish I'm being, and I let out a soft, nervous laugh. "Now I understand why people reacted the way they did when I leveled that look on them."

"Be that as it may, Regina, you're avoiding answering the question. Why would you think your daughter wouldn't want to connect with you through breastfeeding?"

"Because I didn't know she was my daughter until she was three months old? What kind of mother doesn't know that sort of thing about her own child?"

"You and Henry bonded just fine and he's not your biological child."

"I didn't try to breastfeed him, Archie, and you know very well that I almost didn't keep him."

Archie grins and nods. "But you did keep him and he became the center of your universe, just like Hope is now. So tell me why you're still so reluctant to try this?"

*****

The appointment with Archie yesterday was far more productive than I expected. He's set the bar rather high for the efficacy of our sessions, and he always knows how to make me see past my anxiety. Emma and I talked about my fears for breastfeeding Hope, and she simply smiled that smile that eases my worries, reassuring me that we have a plan of attack for stimulating my milk production in progress with my daily fenugreek ingestion.

In a moment of serendipity, the supplementer that Emma ordered arrived yesterday. She's promised that we'll use it this coming weekend with some of her expressed milk to let Hope try latching on to try nursing from me. The physical stimulation in concert with the fenugreek should definitely kick start my lactation, so hopefully the supplementer won't be needed for too long before I can supply Hope with my own milk.

But right now is not for pondering about the details and nerves involved in using the supplementer sitting in the box on the dresser across the room from my bed. Right now is for bonding with my nearly five-month-old daughter. Emma is downstairs making breakfast as Hope and I rest, skin to skin, in bed. We've been doing this morning and night for the past month and a half since she and Emma moved into the mansion with me. Emma always manages to find things to do elsewhere in the house when it comes time for me to strip to the waist and connect with our daughter.

"Good morning, my little princess," I whisper, unwilling to wake her. "You just keep sleeping as long as you need to. I could lay here with you like this for the rest of time and never get bored."

Hope shifts slightly, face wrinkling and reddening. My hand smoothes over her back repeatedly, kisses pressed to the dark downy hair on her head. She lets out a soft squawk and starts to root around at my breast. Nerves flare into life at the sensation, but I know I can't let her sense my fear. I wish Emma was here for this, but I can't expect her to keep taking the baby forever. I want this, I want to feed my daughter, but I'm self-conscious and terrified of screwing this up…

But Hope takes that fear out of my hands as she suddenly latches onto my nipple. _Oh!_ I expected this to feel something like when my past lovers have suckled at my breast. I couldn't have been more wrong. This is… Why have I been waiting an entire month to try this? Hope settles almost instantly as she sucks, body going limp against my chest and belly.

"That's it, princess. I'm sorry I don't have anything for you to eat just yet, but Mommy and I are working on that."

Very carefully, I manage to ease up into a seated position and lean back against the headboard as I watch Hope's eyes droop shut again. Her little mouth continues to move as she falls asleep again, and I suddenly understand why Emma lets her continue to nurse long after she's fallen sleep. I can't stop staring at her peaceful face.

I never want this to end.


	3. Hope's First Sleepover

It's been coming for weeks now, months even. No, that's not right. This has been coming for years now. From the moment Henry ran away to Boston and made Emma return him to Storybrooke, the moment she stood there on my front walk with her shy little _Hi_, everything in our lives has been leading up to this. Whether I knew it or not, a part of my heart belonged to her from that first meeting of ours. It just took nearly a quarter of a century before anything could truly be done about it.

And tonight? No more beating around the bush, no more half-hearted attempts to explain away certain feelings and situations. Tonight we do what we couldn't when we conceived our daughter. For every bit as much as I kept putting off nursing Hope, Emma is just as stubbornly putting off the consummation of our feelings for each other. Like Archie said, we've been living together and sharing a bed for three months now. We've woken up in compromising positions far too often for us to be able to easily explain it away as anything but the clear desire to know each other intimately.

I want this, and I _know_ Emma wants it, too. But why have we been hesitating so long? Can it really be the nerves that Archie mentioned? Have our combined disastrous love lives up to this point made us so gun shy to the thought of further romantic relationships that we shy away from the more intimate physical affections?

No more. No more hiding behind safety nets to protect my heart. The fear and hesitation stops here. The time for sweet words and soft kisses has passed. Tonight will be the night that I show Emma just how much I love her. We've talked about letting Snow and David take Hope for a night for a few weeks now, so why not tonight? Mulan's on the evening shift and has the on-call phone for overnight. Snow and David will be at the farmhouse with Neal, and they're already watching Hope for us today so we can both work. Emma and I can have a night to ourselves, ostensibly to just relax, but we can also take our time exploring this last facet of our relationship.

Giddy with the idea, I finish getting Hope ready for the day. "You are going to spend the day with your grandparents, princess. I want you to be good, but I won't mind if you spit up on your grandma a little bit." She coos and kicks her feet as I get her dressed. "It'll be our little secret, okay? We don't need to tell Mommy or Grandma Snow what we talked about."

*****

"You've got a look in your eye," Snow says, opening the door before I can even knock.

"How did you see that when I only _just_ got here, Snow White?"

She simply smirks and shrugs, reaching for my daughter. "There's my favorite granddaughter. You come here and let Grandma kiss your chubby little cheeks. You have my cheeks, you know," she says, settling Hope on her hip. "Come on in, Regina. I'm sure you have time for a quick cup of tea before you go, right?"

"Do I have a choice?" It comes out snarky, but we both know I'm not serious as I follow her into the house. The kitchen is warm and smells wonderful. "Snow, if you're making scones, I am invoking First Rights."

"First Rights?" David asks, stepping into the kitchen from the other direction. "Um, we've been married since before you cast the Dark Curse, Regina. I don't think you get to bed my wife first anymore."

My jaw drops in shock at the matter-of-fact way he says it, but before I can formulate an answer, Snow pipes in. "Plus, we have two children already. At best, you'd be sloppy seconds."

"I--"

Snow's delighted cackle of laughter fills the kitchen, cutting me off from saying anything else. When David's lower rumbling laugh joins hers, I realize that they've done this on purpose.

"Nope," I say, shaking my head and reaching for my daughter. "I am not going to do this with you two today. And I'm not sure my impressionable baby girl should be around you either. I'll just take her to the office with me."

"I thought you were going to the castle for meetings?" David asks, taking Hope from Snow, who turns to pull a tray of scones from the oven.

My head tilts up, nose delicately sniffing the air as my eyes flutter shut. The misconception that Snow can't cook to save her soul is every bit as incorrect as the one about my fiancée's inability to stop water from burning. Mary Margaret Blanchard was a poor cook, but I happen to know that Snow learned a lot during her time as a bandit. She had a scone variation back then that I craved for so long after she'd learned that _Wilma_ wasn't a real person. Snow's soft, knowing chuckle, combined with a stronger scent of sugary sweet scones, has me opening my eyes to see her holding out a plate with a single scone on it.

"Snow?"

"I believe you invoked First Rights?"

"I was jo-- Oh, who am I kidding?" I grab for the plate, one hand picking up the piping hot scone and not even caring about burning my fingers -- or any part of my mouth, truth be told -- as I bring it to my lips for a bite. The heat is the first thing I notice, obviously, but then the sweetness of blueberries blends with the tartness of cranberries, flavor bursting on my tongue with enough force to make me moan indecently. I don't even care how bad that sounded, shoving another bite into my mouth with the first, chewing happily.

"That is called gluttony, Hope," David says in that tone he always uses with the kids. "Your mama is being naughty and hopefully won't choke on too much food in her mouth."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I carefully finish chewing and swallowing before speaking. "It is not my fault that your wife makes the best scones in all the realms. I know for a fact that Tiana wants her recipe for her food truck."

"She's not getting my recipe. If _you_ can't get it out of me, she certainly can't."

I start to speak, and then it hits me like a punch in the teeth. A blossom of sweet heat in the back of my throat that quickly fills my entire mouth. "Oh my god! Snow, did you--"

"Heat finally caught up to you, huh?"

"How did you mask the smell of the chilis?"

She shrugs and grins. "Finish your scone. Maybe I'll let you take a couple with you as a treat to get through your day."

*****

The day goes by more quickly and easily than I expected, especially with what I've got planned for tonight. I think Emma knows that something's up, but is trying to be patient and wait for me to tell her. I love how much she's grown in that way over the years.

Once my meetings are finished, I pack up and drive back into Storybrooke to pick up the flowers I ordered from Mo French. I want the house to look and smell divine when Emma comes home tonight. Dinner will go a long way toward that, but the flowers will also help. The lasagna will be prepared and put in the oven as soon as I get home, so that its scent permeates the house by the time Emma walks in the front door.

Dinner in the oven, I race upstairs to take a quick shower and change into something both titillating and comfortable. I don't want Emma to figure things out right away, so the sheer black and purple pushup bra and matching thong are hidden beneath black yoga pants and a royal purple Henley. Without hesitation, I let my hair dry naturally into the curls that Emma loves so much. The time spent as Roni really made me love my natural hair for the first time in my life, and now I'd rather have it than not.

Outfit finalized, I turn to the bed. The co-sleeper looks so empty without our daughter napping in it, but I know it's better for her to be with her grandparents tonight. I'm not sure exactly what kind of turn tonight will take, but I'd rather not traumatize Hope or either of us in the process. The bedding gets changed by magic for the sake of expediency and because I really want to surprise my partner.

By the time I'm making my way back downstairs, the rich aroma of my lasagna permeates the entire house. It makes _my_ mouth water, so I know Emma will be very appreciative. Magic puts on the one classical album that Emma hasn't complained about in the last three months, and I feel myself relaxing even more.

Now it's just a waiting game for my love.

*****

"Did I die and go to heaven?"

Emma's words ring throughout the house just as I'm bending over to pull the lasagna from the oven. Her measured footfalls come closer, and I linger in my bent over position until I know she's in the doorway. Her hands have strayed to my ass enough in her sleep for me to know how much she enjoys that part of my anatomy. It's flattering in its own ways.

"Lasagna, lilies and roses, and you looking like that?" she says, and I can hear the thrum of arousal in her tone. "I must've died and gone to heaven."

Setting the lasagna on the stovetop, I smile back over my shoulder at her. "Well, hello to you, too, dear. How was work today?"

"Slow and kinda boring actually," she says, moving toward me until I can feel the heat of her body against my back, her hands on my hips, and her chin on my shoulder. "Even Pongo behaved himself today."

"That's because he was at the castle with Archie. I had meetings all day, but didn't want to miss my session with him, so he came to me."

She kisses my cheek. "Do you have any idea how proud I am of you for keeping up your therapy with him? You always try to better yourself, more than anyone else I've ever seen in my life."

My cheeks heat up at her words, even as I accept their veracity. I'm not sure why her praise and approval have always meant so much to me, but they do. "If we cannot improve ourselves, what is the point of living?"

"And then you go all philosophical on me and I find more reasons to love you." She nuzzles at the side of my neck and hums softly. The sensation sends a spark of arousal down my spine. "What can I do to help with dinner?"

"S-Set the table? We're eating in the dining room tonight."

"Special occasion?" she asks, kissing my cheek before moving to get the plates and silverware.

"Hope's first sleepover and our first night alone since everything came to light."

"Definitely something to celebrate." I can hear the smile in her tone, but I'm not quite sure she's figured out exactly what I'm talking about yet. And that's okay. We have all night to figure it out together. "Can we splurge on some wine or your cider? I think we have enough milk expressed for Hope between us to let it work out of our systems."

"One step ahead of you, dear. There's a bottle of merlot breathing on the island."

"God, I love you."

"I know." I intend it to come out cockier than the disgustingly sentimental tone that actually escapes my mouth. I can't believe this beautiful woman is in love with me and wants to raise our daughter together, even three months into this relationship. The old me would sneer and jeer at this softer side of me, but then I remember that young girl who loved a stable boy and realize that this is always how I've been when I've felt _safe_. And then it finally dawns on me that Emma makes me feel safer than I have in a long time.

"Hey," she asks softly, pulling me back to the present. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." My body twists around to face her, arms going around her neck as I gently press my lips to hers. She hums happily, grip tightening on my hips to keep me close -- like I'd want to be anywhere else right now -- and I can't stop myself from peeking out my tongue to flick across her bottom lip.

"Mmm," Emma hums before parting her lips for my tongue, and I take the invitation to explore her mouth slowly and thoroughly. Her hands twitch against my hips, her tongue eventually meeting mine stroke for stroke before exploring my own mouth just as thoroughly. Pulling back, she rests her forehead against mine and lets out a soft, breathy laugh. "I don't know about you, but I've been wanting to do that for years."

That makes me chuckle and bite my bottom lip briefly. "What were you waiting for, dear? An engraved invitation?"

"Maybe?" she replies with a shrug. And then her stomach grumbles loudly, making both of us laugh. "I should get the table set, huh?"

"I think so, yes. But we've got all night to get back to this, I promise."

*****

Dinner and cleanup go smoothly, like they do most nights since we've been living together, but there's an undercurrent of anticipation tonight. The looks during dinner were heavier than normal, and our hands sought each other out far more often than normal while doing up the dishes. By the time we head into the den with our wine to watch whatever cheesy movie Emma clicks on first, I can feel that we won't be paying much attention to it. I don't even bother to find out the name of the movie, I'm that certain we'll be otherwise occupied soon enough.

Emma makes the first move this time, taking my wine glass once I drain the last of the merlot from it. My lips curl up into a curious smirk. "Something on your mind, dear?"

She offers a lopsided grin and pauses the movie. "I'm thinking it's more like something on your mind. You wanna tell me what you've got planned for tonight, Regina?"

"I just thought we could spend some time getting to know each other a little better without any distractions." The words come out slowly and softly. There's no lie offered, but not the complete truth either.

"Mmm…" 

She studies me through narrowed eyes, and I weather it calmly. She leans in to cup my face in one hand and press another kiss to my lips, tongue seeking entrance into my mouth that I grant easily. As the kiss deepens, her fingers glide back to tangle in my curls, and I melt just a little inside. She tugs gently to tilt my head back as she begins to kiss her way along my jaw and down my neck. A moan escapes my lips before I can stop it, and I feel my nipples tighten in arousal. There's no way she could know how much I like it when my hair is pulled. Her tongue swirls in my ear, as she tugs at my hair again, eliciting another wanton moan from me.

"You like that, don't you?" she murmurs, breath hot on my skin, and I nod in reaction, eyes fluttering shut as she tugs my hair a third time. "Good to know. What else can I learn about you, my queen?"

It's now or never.

"Why don't we go upstairs and find out, hmm?"

Her eyes go wide, and I think I've blown my plans for the night, but then I watch as her pupils dilate and realize that maybe I haven't botched this up as badly as I thought. She picks up both empty wine glasses and stands up. "How about you turn off the TV while I take this into the kitchen, then we head upstairs and see where the night takes us?"

"Th-That sounds like a plan," I reply, wincing when my voice cracks on that one word. We both chuckle, then she heads into the kitchen as I turn off the TV. Getting up to wait for her at the bottom of the stairs, I can feel how damp my thong is already.

Emma joins me again with another kiss before we head up the stairs as quickly as possible. I haven't felt this frisky and enthusiastic about sex since before Ivy forced me to cast that last curse for her. I love this woman so much and I want to explore this last physical avenue of our relationship with her more than anything right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, so there was supposed to be smut in this chapter for Regina and Emma's first time. That was kind of the original point of this whole chapter. But the muses got REALLY recalcitrant and **WOULD NOT** let me write any smut, no matter what I tried or bribed them with. So my compromise is that I'm going to write a "missing scene" fic as soon as they'll let me with all the smut of their first time together. I still have all my notes of what I wanted to use for the scene, so I'll just use that when they let me write it, and then I'll include it in the series.


	4. Officially Official

"You're in a good mood today, Little One," Mal says as she steps into the kitchen to see me sashaying from Hope's high chair over to the stove to get the kettle that's just started to whistle.

"And you've got impeccable timing, as usual." Turning to pour water into two mugs for tea, I grin and watch her immediately gravitate to my daughter's side to kiss those dark, silky curls. The high-pitched squeal when Hope recognizes her aunt is both adorable and painful. "I swear she only makes that noise for you, Mal."

"She's trying to speak Dragonish with me."

That makes me laugh. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. You seem to forget that babies are the easiest to teach."

Rolling my eyes, I drop the tea bags into our mugs before setting them on the island, then grab a sleeve of shortbread cookies that I love. And then I stand there and watch Mal interacting with Hope, heart swelling with love at the bright laughter that is coming from both of them. Mal is the perfect choice for a godmother to my daughter. She loves Hope and would be so fiercely protective and supportive, just as she already is with the rest of the children in the family, even Neal. I'll have to talk to Emma about that tonight.

"You're thinking too loudly again, Little One."

"Am I?" I hate that she knows me so well, and that I'm blushing at that knowledge.

"Mm-hmm. What's on your mind?"

"I think I'm going to ask Emma to marry me tonight on our date night."

She straightens up and quirks both brows at me for a long moment before her long strides eat up the distance between us so she can envelop me in a tight hug. "It's about damned time. You've been pining over her for years now."

"I know. These past six months with Emma and Hope here have been incredible. I mean, it hasn't been perfect. We've had our fights and misunderstandings, but we've worked so hard to clear the air and be totally honest with each other about everything. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else but Emma. She's everything to me."

Mal's smile is bright and she kisses my cheek. "I know that, her parents know that, hell, this whole town knows that. You two are meant to be. You should ask her tonight if you feel that strongly. You know she's going to say yes."

A bit of fear wriggles loose and forces me to frown. "But what if she says no? You know she's got just as many issues with marriage as I do."

Guiding me to one of the stools, Mal rubs my back gently. "Regina, you said it yourself. You two have been working so hard to be honest with each other about everything. And if Emma says no to marriage, there are other options that aren't a legally binding wedding. You could always do a handfasting or something similar. Or don't get married. You don't _need_ to, Regina, and you know it."

"But I do, Mal. I'm the Queen of the United Realms. I don't want people to think I'm up to my old evil ways by assuming that Emma can co-rule with me or Hope can inherit from us without being legally and properly married."

Mal chuckles. "You were elected to the position, Little One. Doesn't that have a term limit and require elections for a replacement eventually?"

"I--" That makes me frown. "I don't know actually. That part of it was never actually explained to me by Snow and Charming. Or my sister, for that matter. They all kind of glossed over that in their effort to surprise me with my coronation."

"Then I suppose you need to look into that, don't you?" She chuckles when I nod, then continues. "But I still think you should ask Emma tonight anyway."

*****

After a lovely dinner at Tiana's Place, Emma and I head out to the beach to take a walk along the water in the evening sunlight. She's wearing a new pair of black skinny jeans and the deep blue silk shirt that she borrowed from me so many years ago. Or, maybe it's not that original shirt, but a more recent relative. It doesn't matter, it looks incredible on her and makes the flecks in her green eyes look bluer than normal. Her hair is down in the princess curls that she knows I adore. I chose to wear a deep purple sundress with a black cardigan and let my hair dry naturally in the curls that drive her crazy to play with.

"This has been a great date night," Emma says with a soft sigh. "I kind of hate to see it end."

"It doesn't have to end yet, my love. Mal has Hope for the night and told me flat out not to bother coming to get her until after lunch tomorrow because she has plans for our daughter."

Emma laughs at that. "If she keeps our daughter up all night, and makes her cranky tomorrow, I'm gonna shoot at a dragon again."

"Speaking of Mal, what do you think of her as a godmother to Hope? I mean, I know we talked about Zelena and Rogers, but they're being idiots about keeping their relationship secret. Mal really adores Hope and you've seen how much Hope lights up every time she's around Mal."

Emma cuts off my words with a quick, sweet kiss that leaves me humming and tingling with love for this woman. "I am perfectly happy with Mal as her godmother. Do we even want to figure out a godfather then or just leave it at Mal?"

"I'm good either way. We don't have to finalize the decision tonight, after all." 

"That's true. Or we could have Lily as her other godmother? A couple of dragons would be pretty badass as godparents."

That makes me chuckle. "I'm okay with that if you are."

"We'll talk to them this weekend at brunch and see what they say."

We lapse into a comfortable silence again as we continue walking along the shore. The nerves start to kick in as I smooth my hand over the side of my small purse that contains the ring box that I hope to give Emma tonight. Mal's encouragement this morning, combined with the pep talk from Archie during my afternoon session, has me ready to make this request official. But when? And then I see the large driftwood log that we've often sat on to catch our breath on our beach walks in the past. More than a couple make out sessions have been started on that log.

Perfect.

As we near the log, I squeeze Emma's hand and incline my head toward the log. She nods and we make our way up the beach to settle on the log and stare out at the bay and the ocean in the distance. Sometimes I rest my head on her shoulder, sometimes she rests hers on mine. Tonight it's the latter, and I'm okay with that. My cheek rests against her hair and I let out a content sigh. 

"You okay, Regina?" she asks softly. "You seem kind of distracted tonight."

"Just a lot on my mind, I guess."

She shifts to sit up and stare at me, cupping my cheek gently. "You want to talk about it?"

"I do." Internally chuckling at my choice of words, I lick my lips and smile at her. "You know that you and Hope have been living with me at the mansion for six months now, right? That we've been a proper family for that long?"

"I do know that. It's probably been the best six months of my life so far. I'm so glad I was finally honest with you about Hope."

"So am I. And that's why I wanted to do this." Reaching into my purse, I stroke the small black velvet box. "Emma, you know that I've loved you for so many years now, but always stayed quiet because I didn't think you felt the same way."

"We were both pretty stupid about that, huh?"

"Yes, we were," I reply with a chuckle. "Thankfully, that little miracle that is our daughter finally made us accept our feelings and our reality. And now, we have both Henrys and Hope, plus Roland and Robyn and Alice and Neal and Lucy. We have such a large and loving family and I want to keep this feeling in a bottle forever."

"Me, too. I finally have the family and love that I always wanted."

"Then let me do this," I say, finally pulling the box out. "Emma, you have made me so happy, happier than I ever thought I could be again after Daniel, and then Robin, died." Taking a deep breath, I open the box to reveal the simple diamond and silver ring inside. "Emma, would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Tears fill Emma's eyes and she starts to laugh. It's not the reaction I expected, but it's not a negative one, so I wait for her to explain herself. But as the seconds go by without her answering me one way or the other, I start to get nervous, my own fears and anxieties flaring to life to make me doubt the wisdom of this decision. And then Emma shifts to dig into her front left pocket and pull out a small deep purple velvet bag that almost perfectly matches my dress.

"I've been carrying this around for about four months now," she says as she reaches in to pull out a ring that is everything I could ever wish for in an engagement ring for myself. "I always said I'd know when it was the right time to ask you to marry me, so I never wanted to be without this, just in case."

"Wh-- Emma, what are you saying?"

She laughs and leans in to kiss me sweetly. "I'm saying that I want to marry you, Regina, as long as you want to marry me."

"Of course, I want to marry you, Emma. I just proposed, you idiot."

Her grins grows wider at the lack of venom in my words. "Okay, so we put the rings on at the same time, on the count of three, right?" When I nod, we each pull out our rings and hold them to each other's left ring fingers. "One, two, three."

As one, we slide the rings on each other's hands. I blink back tears and kiss her again, cupping her face to hold her close. This feels right. _She_ feels right. I can't wait to tell everyone. Oh gods! What are people going to say?

"We'll tell people when we're ready," Emma says softly, resting her forehead against mine. "But both Henrys knew that I've wanted to propose for a while now."

"Mal and Archie knew I wanted to, as well. Both knew it was going to be today, too." My eyes fall back to my ring, loving the design of it. "Emma, this is the most beautiful ring I've ever seen, but it doesn't seem to be your taste?"

"No, it's not, but it's yours, right?"

"Oh, it definitely is. If I was going to design my own ring, this is pretty damned closed to what I'd design. I love you so much, Emma."

"I love you, too, Regina."


	5. First Birthday

The soft rooting at my breast wakes me with a slow smile. "Good morning, birthday girl," I whisper, chuckling when she offers me a sleepy smile but refuses to let go of my nipple. "Have your breakfast and then we'll wake up Mommy together, okay?"

Hope mumbles softly and snuggles closer to nurse, relaxing as I run my fingers through her silky curls. A quick glance at the alarm clock shows that it's not even six o'clock yet. There is no way Emma is going to be up this early without some sort of emergency happening. Not even the fact that her own mother is going to be invading this house within the next three hours at the latest to start setting up for Hope's birthday party. Snow has been so excited for her first granddaughter's birthday party, despite having planned Neal's and helping to plan Lucy's.

"Your grandma's going to come and try to tell Mommy and Mama how to set up your party, but we won't let her do that, will we, princess?" Hope giggles against my breast, but doesn't slow down on her enthusiasm. "So much like your mommy where my boobs are involved."

"Heard that."

I smile unabashedly as Emma shifts her head to face me. "My fiancée is up before noon on a weekend? Is the world ending?"

"Ha-ha, very funny, Mills."

"That's _Your Majesty_ if you're going to be like that."

She shakes her head with a soft laugh and leans over to press a kiss to the top of Hope's head before leaning up to kiss me. "Morning, gorgeous. I see our little princess decided she wanted the good stuff this morning, hmm?"

"I don't think there's any diff--" 

Emma cuts me off with another kiss, and I roll my eyes at her antics, even as I hum happily into the kiss. There is something so disgustingly domestic and comforting about waking up this way with the two of them. Once upon a time, all I wanted was a carefree life filled with love and laughter with Daniel and a house filled with our children. It may have taken longer than anyone expected and I'm not with my first love, but I am definitely with a woman who makes me feel whole and our daughter makes it even more perfect.

"Mama!"

Both of us pull back from the kiss to stare at Hope. Her cheeks are streaked with milk -- my princess is every bit as messy an eater as her mommy -- and her nose is scrunched up.

"Hope?" Emma asks, reaching over to wipe at her cheek, but Hope bats at her hand and points to me.

"Mama!"

Tears fill my eyes as the impact of this moment hits. Hope's first word is _Mama_, is my name. On her first birthday. She's been vocalizing more, but never any actual words until now. Carefully tugging on my arm, she gets to her feet and plants a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss on my chin, and all I can do is pull her into a hug.

"You said your first word, princess. I'm so proud of you." She giggles and snuggles into my chest before patting my left breast and repeating the word. I point to Emma and ask, "Who's this, princess?"

Hope stares at her for a long moment, looking so much like Emma in her concentration, I can barely breathe. And finally she lunges forward toward Emma and says, "Ah-mee!"

Emma catches her and cradles her close, pressing noisy kisses to her face. "That's right, princess, I'm Mommy."

"Ah-mee, Mama." And she kisses her hand before repeating our names again.

With a chuckle and a raised brow, I lean over to meet Emma in the middle for another gentle kiss. Hope's soft giggle and recitation of our names sounds like heaven on earth. Pulling back from the kiss, I can see the mischievous gleam in Emma's eyes, know that it's reflected in my own. As one, we turn to tickle and kiss Hope until she squirms and squeals.

*****

We get two hours of bliss with our birthday girl before Snow arrives with her entourage to set up for the party. She refuses to listen to anything Emma or I say about setting up with magic or how we want the party to go. I look over at Emma, who repeatedly tries to stop her mother, but it doesn't work. Even David gives me apologetic glances for not being able to control his wife. In the end, I just let Snow do what she wants. The party itself is more for the rest of us than for Hope, as she won't remember any of it when she's older. I'm woman enough to admit that I can let Snow have this one, but it's the last one she'll take from me. Hope suddenly starts to get clingy, wanting to be in my arms only, so I guess it's better in the long run to let Snow take over the party setup. She and Emma work well together as I sit in my favorite chair in the den, cuddling Hope and singing softly to her.

"Hey, gorgeous," Emma says softly, coming into the den at some point to catch me dozing with Hope. "How you two doing?"

"Just a little nap, I guess," I reply, blushing slightly.

"Is Hope okay? She's not getting sick, is she?"

"I don't think so?" Pressing my lips to her forehead, her skin feels cool to the touch. "She doesn't feel feverish and she's not congested at all. Maybe her first molars are coming in and making her feel poorly. I'll keep her with me as much as she wants, but be prepared to take her if she wants you, okay?"

"Of course. And when Mal gets here, you know we'll probably lose our daughter to her like usual."

That makes me chuckle softly. "That's true. And if she's not feeling well, Mal's increased body heat will probably be comforting to her." Hope whimpers softly and starts to root at my chest. "Do I have time for a quick nursing before we're needed outside?"

"Mom may be running the setup, but the party runs on Hope's time, not hers. It'll be fine. We have a ton of food and drinks for everyone and it's a gorgeous day, so the backyard is perfect for the party." She scratches at the back of her neck in a movement that is very reminiscent of her father.

"There's something you're not telling me."

"Our sons told me that they've busted Mom and Dad trying to sneak in some sort of surprise wedding for you and me today during the birthday party. They got Lily and Mal to threaten them to knock it off."

The snort that escapes me is inelegant and loud, making Hope whine. "Shh, princess, Mama's sorry." When I adjust my top to let her nurse, she settles easily and I meet Emma's gaze. "Your father had nothing to do with the surprise wedding, you and I both know that was all your mother's doing."

"Yep, but he's been apologizing to me a lot. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't come in to apologize to you yet."

*****

"Happy birthday, dear Hope, happy birthday to you!"

As we finish the song, Granny puts the small cake and dish of chocolate pudding on the high chair tray in front of Hope. She is clad in only her diaper and her high chair is in the center of a large sheet of plastic on the grass. If Henry, Neal, Robyn, and Lucy are any indication, Hope will make a huge mess of herself. We're filming it and will hose her off when she's finished. I'm even in older clothes that I don't mind getting stained, just to get involved with my baby girl's birthday feast.

Without hesitation her hand goes into the pudding first and she smears it all over her face in her attempt to eat it all. When we all laugh, she lets out a delighted squeal and does it again, this time her other hand going into the cake to try to shove both into her mouth at the same time.

"Is that good stuff, princess?" I ask between bouts of laughter.

"Mama!" she crows and offers me the hand dripping with pudding. Who am I to refuse such an offer? Leaning in to nibble at her chocolatey fingers, I don't pay attention to the hand coated in cake and icing until it's too late. "Mama!" she says again as I feel her fingers curl into my hair.

"Oh god, Regina!" Emma says. "Your hair!"

"It's fine," I reply and nibble at Hope's fingers some more until she squeals with laughter. "I was expecting this. Magic and a shower will do wonders to clean it up later on. This is Hope's day and I won't do anything to ruin that for our little princess."

*****

By the time the party is over, Hope is covered from top to bottom in chocolate of one kind or another. It's even in her diaper. It's dried in my hair and on my t-shirt, leaving both to feel hard and crunchy. Not even Emma was left unscathed. I'm still not sure how Hope got the chocolate icing in Emma's bra, but our daughter is resourceful in her own way, even at a year old. The best part was when I was able to walk up to Snow and hug her tightly, transferring some of the liberally smeared pudding from my shirt to hers. My own form of revenge for taking over the party prep and the attempt at the ambush wedding.

The party wraps up pretty quickly after the cake and pudding is eaten, given that we'd been smart enough to open the gifts beforehand. Snow wanted to wait until after cake, but I was adamant to do gifts first, knowing Hope would make a mess of herself. 

Once everyone is gone, I clean up the party mess with magic as Emma goes upstairs with Hope to start the tub. Joining them, we strip off our clothes and all slip into the warm water to soak and clean up. Hope is half-asleep as we get into the tub, so Emma uses magic to help us with the cleaning up. Pajamas for all of us and a clean diaper for Hope are next on our list and we settle in bed. Hope crawls over to nurse from Emma as she drifts off to sleep.

The last thing I see before I fall asleep is the two most important people in the world curled up together in bed next to me. All is right in the world for me, and love reigns supreme.

It's been a good day.


End file.
